Ables’ Viking Search Part II (Point Loma, California)

Background

NB: This post was written a while ago and we have made more progress so I wanted to get this published before I publish some additional updates. 🙂

We have been searching for a S-3 Viking for years and recently conducted two days of searching with UCSD/Scripps using their Iver3 AUV and then did some dives to investigate various targets, including a potential wing section of the Viking and a WW II Mystery Airplane and two other targets.

After diving the wing section, we arranged to conduct more AUV work to find any additional targets near the wing.

This time, Khoa and I were going out with Chris and Lora on the Marissa to do the scanning.

Scanning Plan

Our plan was to scan 2-3 additional quadrants that are 1/4 square kilometer each. Tyler and I both had some suggestions on the additional area to be scanned.

We ended up scanning the two quadrants shown above in the upper left (labeled 1 &2) and didn’t have enough time to scan the third quadrant to the west of the original search grid.

Once again, we had amazing conditions and had a few Navy ships around as well.

Results

We have some very interesting results and a few additional targets to go dive.

Debris Field

In fact, near the end of one of the runs, Lora saw some returns on the sonar and it was just as the Iver3 was surfacing and we have what looks to be a debris field at that location. There was a large fish cloud that can be see on the sonar.

The “Crop Circle”

Interestingly, we also have an almost perfectly round debris field area. As Tyler has mentioned, it looks like something dropped in the water and then spread out in an even circle, almost like you would see if you dropped a pebble in a lake, There is also a piece of debris that sticks out of the debris field and appears to be 30 feet long.

Wing Section (?)

There is also potentially another wing section that looks to be buried in the sand.

Tyler made a video comparing the wing section we dove with the new target and you can see the similarity. It looks like this new one might be buried in the sand.

Next Steps

We are scheduling a date to dive the two most likely targets (debris field and “crop circle” debris). They are both close enough to the wing to be potentially related. The conditions this time of year are highly variable so we need to wait for a weather window and then try to take advantage of it.

Stay tuned….